Arnuity Ellipta News

FRIDAY, Dec. 2, 2016 – Research investigating schoolchildren's asthma attacks has pointed to a tiny foe: mice. Allergens from the rodents can infiltrate the air, the study found, and may be a major cause of asthma attacks in the school environment. It's known that many different allergy triggers – from dust mites to mold to pet dander – can fuel children's asthma symptoms. But most research has focused on the triggers in kids' homes. "In this study, we've identified the school as an important factor, too," said researcher Dr. Wanda Phipatanakul, an allergy specialist at Boston Children's Hospital. That said, she stressed, the findings do not actually prove that schools' rodent problems were the cause of kids' symptoms. The next step, Phipatanakul said, is a study where schools will get air purifiers and "integrated pest management," to see if that improves students' respiratory ... Read more

THURSDAY, Sept. 8, 2016 – Fewer Americans are dying from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), but not black women and the middle-aged, a new government report shows. Between 2000 and 2014, there was a 12 percent overall drop in deaths from the progressive lung disease, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Report co-author Hanyu Ni said the figures aren't unexpected, noting that "the declines in the COPD-related mortality are consistent with declines in the prevalence of current smoking for men and women in the United States." But, Ni added, the study only quantified death rate trends, and didn't look at the reasons behind those trends. Ni is an associate director for science with the CDC's division of vital statistics at the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics. Dr. David Mannino, who's with the University of Kentucky's College of Public ... Read more

FRIDAY, June 17, 2016 – Struggling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) may raise the risk of depression among patients with the incurable respiratory illness, two new studies suggest. One report, from scientists at Manchester Metropolitan University in England, found one in four patients with COPD suffered persistent depressive symptoms over the three years of the study. If untreated, depression can have a negative effect on the patients' overall health and the effectiveness of their treatment, the researchers noted. A second study from the University of Texas analyzed data from a random sample of 5 percent of Medicare beneficiaries diagnosed with COPD between 2001 and 2011. The researchers found that 22 percent of those patients had one or more psychological disorders. The study also showed that the odds of 30-day readmission to the hospital were higher in patients with ... Read more

-- Asthma medications can tame your symptoms and greatly improve your quality of life. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says benefits of controlling asthma include: Better breathing. Regaining the ability to participate in sports and other physical activities. Better sleep. Freedom from wheezing and coughing. Avoiding hospital stays. Read more

TUESDAY, May 31, 2016 – Only half of parents of children with asthma fully understand the use of their youngsters' asthma medications, a new study finds. A survey of parents of 740 children with probable persistent asthma found just 49 percent knew what kind of medication their child was prescribed and how often to use it. Following recommended guidelines is key to controlling asthma symptoms, experts say. "Adherence to the guidelines has demonstrated improved outcomes: decreased hospitalizations, emergency department visits and outpatient visits," said study primary author Dr. Ann Chen Wu, of the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute in Boston. Parents were asked which asthma controller medications their child was prescribed and how often they should be taken. Responses were compared to instructions from their child's health care provider. Records showed that 77 percent of the ... Read more

FRIDAY, May 27, 2016 – Inhaled steroid therapy is commonly used to treat asthmatic children with persistent, daily wheezing episodes. However, a new study suggests that the powerful medicines may not be needed on a daily basis for kids whose wheezing occurs sporadically, such as when they catch a cold. "It makes sense that these children with frequent symptoms require daily treatment, whereas those who wheeze just during viral illnesses may only need treatment during illnesses," study lead author Dr. Sunitha Kaiser, of the University of California, San Francisco, said in a university news release. Two experts who reviewed the study had different reactions to the findings, however. "The less-frequent use of steroids is good news for children, since chronic steroid use can stunt growth," said Dr. Len Horovitz, a pulmonary specialist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. Child asthma ... Read more

WEDNESDAY, May 18, 2016 – Many smokers have symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) even before they've been diagnosed with the lung condition, according to a new study. Symptoms of COPD include shortness of breath, coughing, difficulty exercising and history of asthma. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States, researchers said. Smoking is a major cause of the disease. "We found that a significant number of current and former smokers who don't meet the typical criteria for COPD [based on a breathing test] otherwise look and behave like patients who do carry a diagnosis of COPD," said study co-lead author Dr. Meilan Han, medical director of the University of Michigan Women's Respiratory Health Program. The study included more than 2,700 people. It included current or former smokers and people who never smoked. "We found significant respiratory ... Read more

-- An asthma action plan can help people with asthma handle an attack quickly and safely. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends: Creating the action plan with your doctor's assistance. Including in your plan the asthma treatments taken daily, including the type of medications and when taken. Including a plan for long-term asthma control. Including a plan for an asthma attack. Noting when it's appropriate to visit the doctor or go to the emergency room. If the plan is for a child, giving the plan to anyone who cares for that child, including daycare providers and teachers. Read more

SUNDAY, May 15 2016 – Researchers say they've found a new way to predict how chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will progress, a discovery they believe could improve COPD treatment. Their research might help doctors determine which patients are less likely to respond to standard treatment and are at higher risk for disease advancement, the study authors explained. COPD – chronic obstructive pulmonary disease – is a chronic lung disease that makes it tough to breathe. It includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, according to the American Lung Association. The new discovery concerns something called neutrophilic airway inflammation, which is associated with COPD. Neutrophils are white blood cells that are important for fighting infection. Scientists said that a type of neutrophil behavior called neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation in the lungs of COPD patients appears to ... Read more

FRIDAY, May 13, 2016 – Americans with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease face high out-of-pocket costs and other significant barriers to adequate medical care, a new report finds. "This report reveals a real patchwork of care for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease," the report's lead author, Dr. Meilan Han, said in a news release from The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. The report, written by experts in the field of respiratory health, was commissioned by the journal to provide the first comprehensive look at chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) care in the United States. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States, Han said. And the condition disproportionately affects some of society's most vulnerable people, such as older people and those with low incomes. Many COPD patients lack access to medications and treatments that could improve their ... Read more

Event will take place from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, April 30th On Saturday, April 30th, 2016 from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm local time, communities will team up with law enforcement to host the 11th National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day. You can call the Drug Enforcement Agency's (DEA's) Registration Call Center at 1-800-882-9539 or check the DEA's website for collection sites in your area. The website will be continuously updated with new take-back locations. DEA began hosting National Prescription Drug Take-Back events in 2010. At the previous 10 Take-Back Day events, over 5.5 million pounds of unwanted, unneeded or expired medications were surrendered for safe and proper disposal. The disposal service is free and anonymous for consumers, with no questions asked. Keep in mind that needles, sharps, asthma inhalers, and illicit drugs are not accepted at the drop box. Prescription m ... Read more

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 6, 2016 – Children whose mothers took certain asthma drugs during pregnancy may have a slightly increased risk of autism, a new study suggests. The study, published online Jan. 6 in Pediatrics, found a connection between autism risk and prenatal exposure to drugs called beta-agonists. They are most often used to control asthma, and include inhaled medications such as albuterol, salmeterol (Serevent) and formoterol (Foradil). Researchers said the findings do not prove cause and effect, and stressed that women with asthma should not simply abandon their medication during pregnancy. "Uncontrolled asthma in pregnancy has been associated with poor birth outcomes, such as preterm birth, low birth weight and admission to the neonatal intensive care unit," said lead researcher Nicole Gidaya, of Drexel University, in Philadelphia. What's more, preterm delivery and low birth ... Read more

FRIDAY, Dec. 11, 2015 – People with asthma may be more than twice as likely to develop chronic migraines as those without breathing troubles, a new study suggests. The research included about 4,500 Americans. At the start of the study in 2008, the study volunteers had fewer than 15 migraines a month. One year later, the researchers looked to see how many had chronic migraine – 15 or more migraines a month. More than 5 percent of people with asthma developed chronic migraine. Just 2.5 percent of those without asthma ended up with chronic migraines, the study found. "If you have asthma along with episodic or occasional migraine, then your headaches are more likely to evolve into a more disabling form known as chronic migraine," said lead author Dr. Vincent Martin. Martin is a professor of medicine and co-director of the Headache and Facial Pain Program at the University of Cincinnati. ... Read more

-- By keeping your asthma under control and creating a plan for when attacks strike, asthma doesn't have to ruin your health. The U.S. National Heart Lung and Blood Institute suggests: With help from your doctor, create an asthma action plan. It should include steps for taking medication, and what to do if symptoms worsen. Learn about, and avoid, asthma triggers. Get regular medical checkups. Take medication as prescribed. Practice using inhaled medication in front of your doctor, if needed. Record asthma symptoms and peak flow readings in a journal to share with your doctor. Read more

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 30, 2015 – The presence of four types of gut bacteria in infancy may reduce a child's risk for asthma, Canadian researchers report. Most infants get these bacteria naturally from the environment. But some babies are given antibiotics that kill these bacteria, and some are not exposed to them for various reasons, the researchers said. "We now have particular markers that seem to predict asthma later in life," lead researcher Brett Finlay, a professor of microbiology and immunology at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, said during a news conference Tuesday. "These findings indicate that bacteria that live in and on us may have a role in asthma," he said. This seems to happen by 3 months of age in ways that still aren't clear. Coming into contact with environmental bacteria, such as by living on a farm or having pets, appears to decrease asthma risk, Finlay ... Read more